Type of Cooler used on the train

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June the Coach Rider

June the Coach Rider

OBS Chief
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
929
Location
Spencer, MA
I want to bring a cooler with me for my trip in February, I searched but did not find anything with suggestions as to the best type or the common type used by AU members.

I will be traveling coach, so need to bring drinks and some food so I do not have to buy every meal on the train.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
June: I Travel with a Soft sided Cooler/Lunch Box with a Shoulder strap that is sold in Sporting Goods stores/Drug Stores/Discount Stores etc., Works Great! They have a Plastic Liner that will allow you to have Ice for your Drinks and Food, are Lightweight, Cheap and Easy to Carry! You should be able to get one in the $8-$12 Range that will do Nicely! Also be sure and take a Water/Drink Bottle (Non-Breakable) of Some type so you can Refill it as needed! I buy mine @ Wal-Mart but some People dont care for them, YMMV! If you dont want this type of Food/Drink you can also use the Recycled Cloth Bags that more and more folks are using for your Snacks and Drinks! I also have several of these and have taken them on many LD Trips! (I like Coke, No Pepsi!! ;) )
 
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jimhudson said:
June: I Travel with a Soft sided Cooler/Lunch Box with a Shoulder strap that is sold in Sporting Goods stores/Drug Stores/Discount Stores etc., Works Great! They have a Plastic Liner that will allow you to have Ice for your Drinks and Food, are Lightweight, Cheap and Easy to Carry! You should be able to get one in the $8-$12 Range that will do Nicely! Also be sure and take a Water/Drink Bottle (Non-Breakable) of Some type so you can Refill it as needed! I buy mine @ Wal-Mart but some People dont care for them, YMMV! If you dont want this type of Food/Drink you can also use the Recycled Cloth Bags that more and more folks are using for your Snacks and Drinks! I also have several of these and have taken them on many LD Trips! (I like Coke, No Pepsi!! ;) )
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Thanks, I am going to check Walmart and see what they have. I could use it strickly for the drinks and anything I want cold, hard boiled eggs for one thing. Then I can get ice at the hotel for next trip. I have to say I am a Pepsi girl, but diet all the way. I actually prefer Diet Dr. Pepper, but am not a coke person. I have a water bottle that I will definitely bring with me. Great idea. :hi:
 
For longer trips, I try to pack a lot of food that don't need refrigeration and like you said, keep the cooler free for a few things. Hard cheeses, sausages, nuts, grapes, etc. are all nice and don't need to be kept cold. I also like to freeze a few bottles of water. They keep things cold and then you have a nice drink when it's melted. Just make sure your cooler doesn't leak if it's soft-sided.
 
We also use a soft-side cooler with a shoulder strap. Our drinks keep everything cold. We cut a bunch of beef sticks, cheese, fruit, and veggies into bite-size pieces and put them in Ziploc bags. I also make little bite-size "sandwiches" out of banana slices and peanut butter and/or cucumber, cream cheese, and ham.

B doesn't like cucumbers or peanut butter (because he's an alien, apparently), so I usually stuff a bunch of meat, cheese, and spinach into a pita pocket for him. He also likes tuna salad with crackers, but we don't bring that when we travel coach since tuna is so pungent.
 
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I use the ebags.com brand TLS Crew Cooler II (roman numeral 2) for train trips. I pack the bottom section with bottles of Diet Dr. Pepper and the top section with granola bars, almonds, etc. This cooler has 3 additional pockets for odds and ends, and a shoulder strap if you're carrying too many other things. I own the Crew Cooler Jr., but it's too small for all but the shortest train trips. I also have the matching TLS MotherLodes, wonderful and very well-designed bags for any kind of travel. Disclaimer - I have no affiliation with ebags.com, just a satisfied customer.
 
FunNut said:
I use the ebags.com brand TLS Crew Cooler II (roman numeral 2) for train trips. I pack the bottom section with bottles of Diet Dr. Pepper and the top section with granola bars, almonds, etc. This cooler has 3 additional pockets for odds and ends, and a shoulder strap if you're carrying too many other things.
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I have look at that cooler, I was wondering if it worked well, do you use ice or freezer blocks?
 
FunNut said:
I use the ebags.com brand TLS Crew Cooler II (roman numeral 2) for train trips. I pack the bottom section with bottles of Diet Dr. Pepper and the top section with granola bars, almonds, etc. This cooler has 3 additional pockets for odds and ends, and a shoulder strap if you're carrying too many other things. I own the Crew Cooler Jr., but it's too small for all but the shortest train trips. I also have the matching TLS MotherLodes, wonderful and very well-designed bags for any kind of travel. Disclaimer - I have no affiliation with ebags.com, just a satisfied customer.
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The Crew Cooler II looks perfect for me! Thanks for the recommendation. Going to get one for my CZ trip in March! Love the sleeve on the back that slips over your luggage handle.
 
dabrilloman said:
FunNut said:
I use the ebags.com brand TLS Crew Cooler II (roman numeral 2) for train trips. I pack the bottom section with bottles of Diet Dr. Pepper and the top section with granola bars, almonds, etc. This cooler has 3 additional pockets for odds and ends, and a shoulder strap if you're carrying too many other things. I own the Crew Cooler Jr., but it's too small for all but the shortest train trips. I also have the matching TLS MotherLodes, wonderful and very well-designed bags for any kind of travel. Disclaimer - I have no affiliation with ebags.com, just a satisfied customer.
Click to expand...
The Crew Cooler II looks perfect for me! Thanks for the recommendation. Going to get one for my CZ trip in March! Love the sleeve on the back that slips over your luggage handle.
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Yes, I forgot about that sleeve, that is the plus that will make it the go to for me also. I am checking on eBay, it seems cheaper on there than directly from ebags.com not sure why. It is not the Jr, it is the Crew Cooler II just like on ebags.
 
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I Just purchased a Crew Cooler II today off EBay, $27.99 with free standard shipping. Looking forward to using it on my CZ trip in March!
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JMHO, but for the few times I travel by train, I look forward to eating in the diner, or patronizing the snack bar. I don't think their prices are too out-of-line, so don't mind at all supporting them with my purchases. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine if you want to BYOB, so to speak...but I wouldn't want to be encumbered toting food, beverages, and ice around with my other bags.......
 
Also, pack it with dry ice! This stuff cost just as much as regular ice and there's no mess! Go to http://www.dryicedirectory.com/usa.htm to find the closest place to get some in your area. Also, in some instances, this stuff last longer than regular ice as well. Ice sitting in water melts at an increasing faster rate than ice in open air.
 
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